George h



(No Model.)

G. H. PALMER. soLDIBRs FIELD EQUIPMENT.

Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

" www www WWW" W/ TNE SSES:

ATTORNEYS.

me NAnoNAL. Llmoannnma coMPANv.

wAsHlNm-cn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. PALMER, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

SOLDIERS FIELDA EQUIPMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,856, dated April 24, 1894.

Application filed J une 26,1893. Serial No. 478,920. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. PALMER, of the United States Army, residing at Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake county, Territory of Utah, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Soldiers Field Equipments, of which the following is a specication.

My invention comprises a half-shelter tent ro made of canvas and so constructed that when united with a like half-shelter tent, a complete tent inclosed on all sides is formed,and, when carried, is placed around the soldiers bedding and carried in aroll on the shoulders I 5 across the body, in combination with a valise similarly carried, said valise being made of canvas or leather or other suitable material and arranged to hold ammunition, clothing, and toilet articles, and having certain straps and attachments by which it is connected to the halfshelter tent roll, thereby holding both valise and half-tent roll in place on the shoulders. f

My objects in the invention are tov provide z 5 an equipment of minimum lightness, simply constructed of very few parts, but of suicient l capacity to enable the soldier to carry on his person with ease and convenience the ammunition, bedding, clothing and tentage sufli- O 3 bearing straps heretofore employed in equipments which chafe and cramp the wearer; to evenly distribute the weight directly on the shoulders and in front and at the back of the wearer, and to bring it to bear on those parts of the body best able to sustain it, leaving the body and arms unconined and free in their movements,- and the whole so constructed as to enable the wearer to put it on or oft immediately, in so doing there being no straps or other parts of it to fasten or unfasten. I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in'which- Figure l is a perspective View of the halfshelter tent rolled, in combination wlth the valise, showing the manner of attaching the twotogether ready to be placed on the shoulders of the wearer, also showing the manner of attaching the straps, buckles and metal rings or loops thereto. Fig.2is a perspective view of the equipment as seen on the back of the wearer, showing the manner of carrying cient for his use; to do away with shoulder or the half-shelter tent rolled round the blanket in combination with the valise, the valise being attached to the roll in front of the wearer the same as it appears at the back, and the two-ends of the roll being buckled together under the arm. Fig. 3 shows the half-shelter tent set up, and Fig. 4 shows the manner of constructing the half-shelter tent.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. l, I will first describe the manner of combining the valise and the halfshelter tent rolled so that theymay be carried on the person.

A A are two straps buckledharound the ends of the roll to hold it in proper shape andv for attaching theretov the straps B B, one of which has a buckle. The straps B B are 7o buckled together to hold the ends of the roll together at such distance as may suit the con- Venience of the wearer.

C C are two straps attached by rivets to the ends of the Valise, the rivets passing through strap H and the ends of the valise. They are buckled around the roll in front and rear of the body at a little distance from the ends of the roll and at such places as suit the size of the wearer. They bind and support the roll, 8o and hold the valise in place on the body.

D is a strap buckled around the roll a little to one side of its middle so as to bring it behindlthe shoulder as in Fig. 2. Its use is for attaching to it, so as to turn on its fastening, 8 5 the strap E which carries the metal loop or ring F. The strap Gis buckled into the rings orloops F F on the roll and on the valise across the back of the' wearer, and serves to keep the roll r and valise from slipping off the 9o shoulders. If tent poles, overcoats, or other articles are to be carried on the back, the strap G is not buckled across the back, but is suspended from the metal loop on the roll, and together with another strap like it suspended from the loop on the valise, is buckled around the articles toA be carried on the back. This arrangement also keeps the roll and valise from slipping oft the shoulders.

H is a strap attached by rivets to the valise. roo It passes along the top, under the ends, and f four or tive inches along the bottom of the valise. It strengthensthe valise and supports the cartridges carried in the ends of the valise. To it is attached, so as to turn on its fastening, strapE which carries the metal loop or ring F which serves the same purpose as the strap and metal loop on strap D. The valise is about three feet long, two inches deep, and six inches wide at its ends. It is narrowed at its middle to about four inches where it rests on the shoulder. Cartridges in original packages are carried in each end of the valise, and clothing or other articles are placed between the cartridge boxes. From forty to one hundred and twenty rounds of ammunition, together with the necessary underclothing, may be carried in the valise. The weights being placed in each end of the valise, bear equally in front and rear of the shoulders. The roll and valise are made to exchange places on the shoulders by simply turning the equipment around.

To more readily manipulate the musket, the valisewhere it comes in front of the shoulder, is packed shallow, the clothing being spread out as wide as the valise will permit, the more bulky clothing being placed at the back. In firing, the butt of the musket is held against the valise which thus serves as a cushion to take up the recoil. In battle, if it is desired to discard fora time the roll, the valise containing the ammunition is alone carried on the shoulder across the body, by unbuckling the straps from the rolland buckling together, under the arm, the straps C C.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the half-shelter tent. I is the top piece about five and one half feet square. .T J are triangular pieces of cloth sewed to the sides of the top-piece. They hang down and inclose the ends of the'tent when itis set up, thus formingatentwith three sides inclosed. Buttons and button holes are laced along the front edge of the top piece, and along the front edges of the triangular pieces, `for the purpose of joining two halftents together. Two halftents, thus constructed and joined together and set up, form a completely inclosed tent. In the half-shelter tents now in use, no provisionis made for inclosing their ends, and when two of them are joined together and set up, both ends of the tent thus made are open and exposed to theV weather.

To carry the half-tent it is formed into the roll and carried in combination with the valise as hereinbefore described. If a blanket is carried, it is rolled in the half-tent, which is laid out flat, the blanket spread on it, and

the triangular pieces folded over the blanket before rolling. The blanket is thus com pletely covered and protected. Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination in a soldiers ield equipment, of a roll arranged to be doubled or folded so as to be carried over one shoulder, and a valise or baggage receptacle detachably connected at each end to the roll near its ends and adapted to be carried on the other shoulder, substantially as specied and for the purposes set forth.

2. Ihe combination in a sldiers field equipment, of a roll arranged to be doubled or folded so as to be carried over one shoulder, a flexible valise or baggage receptacle detachably connected at each end to the roll near its ends and adapted to be carried on the other shoulder, and. a strap or connection arranged to pass behind the back and to loosely connect the roll and valise at a point near the middle thereof substantially as shown and described. y

3. The combination in a'soldiers field equipment, of a half-shelter tent, having triangular pieces J J, which form the ends of said `half-shelter tent, roll straps A A, arranged about the endsV and provided with connective straps B B, strap D fastened near themiddle ot' the roll and carrying the metal loop or ring F substantially asspecified and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination in asoldiers fieldequipment, of a flexible valise with strap II running along its middle and provided at its ends with roll straps C C, and strap E connected to the valise and carrying the metal loop or ring F substantially as specified and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination in a soldiers field equi p ment, of a half-shelter tent adapted to be rolled, a flexible Valise roll straps A A, embracing the ends of the roll and having connective straps B B, straps GC and I-I connecting the ends of the valise to the roll and straps D, E E with metal loops or rings F F, loosely connecting'the roll and valise near their middle parts substantially as specified and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE I-l. PALMER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. LooMIs, HENRY G. llIoMILLAN.

IOO 

